Textbook shortage hits primary schools in Nakuru 

Most primary schools in Nakuru County have been hit by shortage of textbooks.

A spot-check by Nation in various institutions revealed that schools are yet to receive Christian Religious Education (CRE) and Social Studies textbooks.

LOWER CLASSES

However, Math, English, Kiswahili and Science textbooks were available in lower classes but were missing in classes four, five, six, seven and eight.

At Koinange Primary School in Nakuru West, the situation looks grim with the school lacking class four, five, six and seven textbooks.

In lower-primary classes, the school had Math, English, Kiswahili and Science textbooks but lacked CRE and Social Studies books.

“We have not yet received any textbooks from the government since last year, at the moment, we have a deficit,” said a teacher who did not want to be named.

She added that the Ministry of Education erred when it phased out the 8-4-4 syllabus and replaced it with the Competency Based Curriculum.

CAPITATION FUND

“We have hundreds of textbooks from the previous syllabus lying on the shelves,” she said.

She added that unlike before when school used to receive Capitation Fund to buy books, now the Ministry distributes books directly to schools. This, she said, has aggravated an already dire situation. 

St Mary Primary School in Nakuru East is yet to receive textbooks from the government.

The school has so far received Math, English, Kiswahili and Science textbooks but it lacks CRE and Social Studies books.

Kenya National Union of Teachers Secretary-General Wilson Sossion said that most public primary schools lack class four, five, six, seven and class eight textbooks. 

SHORTAGES

Mr Sossion attributed the shortages to the move by the government to supply the learning materials directly to schools.

However, Nakuru County Director of Education William Sugut advised schools that are yet to receive the textbooks to report to sub-county directors of education.

“We have extra books which we supply to schools that have missed the books,” Mr Sugut said.

Last year, the government decided to procure books directly from publishers and supply to schools.

FOUR SUBJECTS

In January this year, the ministry disclosed that it had distributed 32 million textbooks to primary and secondary schools in the past one year.

Its report indicated that textbooks for four subjects in primary and six subjects in secondary schools were distributed to learning institutions in all counties.

That data indicated that 31 million textbooks have been given to learners. Another 579,408 teachers guides were distributed to primary teachers while 310,464 guides were issued to secondary school tutors.